FEMA Grants Provide $23 Million To Ten Applicants 

Release Date: February 3, 2005
Release Number: 1539-365

» More Information on Florida Hurricane Charley and Tropical Storm Bonnie
» More Information on Florida Hurricane Ivan
» More Information on Florida Hurricane Frances
» More Information on Florida Hurricane Jeanne

ORLANDO, Fla. -- The Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced today the award of ten federal Public Assistance grants, totaling $23,510,855, to county and local governments and qualified non-profit agencies. These funds are earmarked to assist recipients in their recovery efforts from the four hurricanes that affected Florida during 2004.

“Communities across our state, and the residents they serve, benefit greatly from these grants,” said Governor Jeb Bush. “On behalf of all Floridians I thank the president and our federal partners for their commitment and support.”

These 10 projects represent but a small portion of the ongoing assistance that FEMA has been providing to communities, counties, the state and qualified non-profit organizations since the first declaration for Hurricane Charley on Aug. 13, 2004.

“FEMA continues to follow through on President Bush's pledge to help the state of Florida to recover from the devastation caused by the four hurricanes that hit the state last year," said Under Secretary for Emergency Preparedness and Response Michael D. Brown with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. "These grants will reimburse the local governments for their efforts and expenditures for debris removal and repair of critical resources.”

FEMA provides 90 percent of the funding for these approved projects. The State of Florida, county and local governments, and the non-profit organizations are responsible for the remaining 10 percent.

The ten projects approved for funding this week are:

The State Emergency Response Team (SERT) is a collaboration of Florida’s state agencies led by the state coordinating officer. SERT’s mission is to ensure that Florida is prepared to respond to emergencies, recover from them, and mitigate their impact. Visit www.floridadisaster.org for the latest information on the hurricane relief efforts.

FEMA prepares the nation for all hazards and manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates mitigation activities, trains first responders, works with state and local emergency managers, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003.

Last Modified: Thursday, 03-Feb-2005 15:23:26